Opponents of the New Fortress Energy plan say they can breathe a sigh of relief — at least for now.
“[The permit denial] is certainly a good thing for anyone who lives along a potential route for this type of transport,” said Tom Schuster, director of the Pennsylvania chapter of the Sierra Club, which was a part of last year’s legal settlement.
“It’s a good thing for emergency responders who might have to be in harm’s way if an accident were to happen. And it’s a good thing for the climate.”
New Fortress Energy did not immediately respond to a request for comment. The company’s next steps are unclear.
PHMSA had approved a rarely issued special permit to move the LNG by rail in December 2019. It would have allowed two 100-car trains to transport the gas each day about 200 miles from Bradford County, across the Delaware River, and into South Jersey.
Separately, the Trump administration opened up LNG by rail transport options in 2020 by allowing companies to apply for a regular permit.
Environmentalists have called upon the Biden administration to put an end to that change. In 2021, the PHMSA proposed to suspend the transport of LNG by rail. However, the proposed rules have not yet been implemented.
When asked why the agency denied the permit renewal, a spokesperson pointed to last year’s settlement, stating in an email: “Prior to the denial, the project to transport LNG for foreign export was already halted by Energy Transfer Solutions as part of a legal settlement with external litigants.”
While its original permit was issued in 2019, New Fortress Energy’s proposed project was delayed because of the “pandemic, massive supply chain and workforce disruptions, and widespread economic and political uncertainties,” according to the company.
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